Slicing machine



Feb. 20, 1934. w. J. CAMPBELL SLICING MACHINE Filed Dec. 4. v1931 3Sheets- Sheet 1 I72 yeizfar Feb. 20, 1934- w. J. CAMPBELL SLICINGMACHINE Filed Dec. 4. 1951 3 Sheets- Sheet 2 MM WZI SLICING MACHINEFiled Dec. 4. 1951 3 Sheets- Sheet 3 4? FJM MIQ Patented Feb. 20, 1934SLICING MACHINE William Campbell, Indianapolis, Ind., assignor toAmerican Slicing Machine Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of NewYork Application December 4, 1931. Serial No. 579,003

1 Claim. (o1..14e-1o2) My invention relates to an improvement in slicingmachines and has for one object'the provision of a manually operableslicing machine for slicing bread, meat or the like. One object is theprovision of a light, efficient fully manual ma chine. Another object isthe provision of a machine having an actuating member orcarriage formoving or conveying the work past the cutting edge of the knife,associated with means for driving the knife in response to movement ofthe actuating or work supporting member. Other objects will appear fromtime to time throughout the specification and claim.

My invention is illustrated more or less diagrammatically in theaccompanying drawings,

wherein- Figure 1 is a sideelevation;

Figure 2is a plan view,.with parts in section;

Figure 3 is an end elevation with parts in section;

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a section on the line 55 of Figure 3; V

Figure 6 is a section on the line 66 of Figure .25 5; and

Figure '7 is a-view similar to, Figure 4, illustrating a slightvariation. I p I Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout thespecification and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, A generally indicates any suitable basemember having supports A which may be of yielding material. Mounted inany suitable fashion on the base A is the slice receiving member A.

B indicates a gauge plate mounted for example on any suitable supportingmember B adapted, in response to rotation of the manual control knob Bto move the gauge plate toward and away from the cutting plane. Anysuitable connection may be employed between the knob B and the support Bthe details of which do not of themselves form part of the presentinvention.

C is a bearing housing mounted in any suitable fashion upon the base A.Mounted for rotation within it is the knife shaft C which may rotate forexample in roller or ball bearings 0 The knife shaft carries at one endany suitable knife C herein shown as having a flat forward surface 0*lying substantially in the cutting plane. The

5 0 knife is rearwardly beveled as at C and may be secured to anysuitable plate C the plate in turn being mounted upon the end of theshaft C The opposite end of the shaft may carry a sprock et C aboutwhich passes a flexible driving mem- -5 ber C herein shown as a chain.Introduced between the end of the knife shaftC and the sprocket is anysuitable over-running clutch or one-way driving member, wherebyuni-directional rotation may be imparted to the knife shaft. Iillustrate for example a generally crossshaped clutch member C which maybe keyed to the shaft C} and which is provided with recesses C in whichare positioned balls or rollers C opposed to the inner face C of thesprocket. Springs C urge the ball C against the surface I C It will beclear from Figure 5 that the parts are so shaped or proportioned thatcounter clockwise movement of the sprocket will tend to pinch the ball Cbetween the clutch members C and the opposed inner faceC of thesprocket, effecting a driving connection. If the relative rotationaldirection of the-sprocket and knife shaft is reversed, the sprocket-willsimply over-ride the clutch, the balls moving against the spring C outof clutching or locking position.

D D indicates supporting or guiding tracks mounted for example onsupports D Slidably mounted on these tracks is any suitable carriagestructure D with a downward extension D op- .posed to the lower track DD indicates a work supporting trough. I may illustrate any, suit ablehandle member. for thecarriage D but I indicatehereina pin D which maybe manually grasped. '5

Extending forwardly from the front of the 86 base A are studs orprojections E, upon which are mounted pins E which rotatably receivesprockets 11'] about which passes a flexible member, for example thechain. E Associated with one of said sprockets is a shaft E to whichthe;90 sprocket isfixed. The shaft E carries at its" opposite end asecond sprocket E about which passes the chain C.

To provide a driving connection between the carriage and the chain E Iillustrate the follow-, ing structure mounted upon the carriage. G G areguides or abutment members, moving with the carriage and underlying theupper and lower bights of the chain respectively. Pivoted above theseguides for movement with the carriage 3165100 the pawls or thrustmembers G G, each of which l is notched as at G to engage the chainrollers or cross bars and is normally downwardly urged as by the springG It will be clear as from Figure 4 that the members G G are sopositioned;-,;l05 that when one is in driving engagement with the chain,the other over-rides the chain. For example, referring to the structureof Figure 4, when the carriage is moved to the right, a clockwiserotation is given to the sprocket E. On the; il

contrary, when the carriage is moved to the left the lower member G isin locking engagement with the chain but the upper member G overridesthe chain. Thus reciprocation of the carriage D imparts uni-directionalmovement of the chain E and through the sprocket .E the sprocket E thechain C and the clutch member C imparts uni-directional rotation to theknife.

Referring to Figure 7, I illustrate a variant structure in which aplurality of pawls are opposed to each bight of the chain.

It will be realized that whereas I have described and shown a practicaland operative device, nevertheless many changes maybe made in. size,shape, proportion and disposition of parts without departing from thespirit of my invention. I therefore wish my drawings to be taken as in abroad sense illustrative, rather than limiting me to my precise showing.For example, the details.

or material actuating means may be widely varied. Whereas I illustratethe chains as driving members, it will be realized that other suitabledriving members may be used. The details of the over-running drivingconnections may also be widely varied.

It will be also understood that whereas I have shown an over-runningclutch between the knife and the sprocket driving the knife, suchoverrunning clutchmay under some circumstances-be omitted. For examplewhen employing the pawl driving connection shown in Figures 4 or 7 I mayrely on it alone in order to actuate the knife. On the other hand, if Ieliminate the pawl connection, for example by securing one night of thechain to the carriage I would find it necessary to employ theover-running clutchconnection. In other words, I may use either theoven-running clutch connection or the pawl connection or both, dependingupon the needs of the particular machine.

The use and: operation of my invention are as follows:

I illustrate a relativel y'light but efiicient ma chine which isparticularly useful as a substitute for electric or power drivenmachines; For example, it may be employed at places where power is notavailable or where electric pow-er is sufficiently expensive to warrantthe employment or a fully manual machine.

In the operation of the device, the material to be sliced may be placedon the trough D and moved manually against the gauge plate B which isadjusted to determine the thickness of the slice. The operator thenmanually reciprocates the carriage D past the cutting edge and acrossthe face of the knife C The forward thrust of the carriage moves theflexible driving member E and imparts a cutting rotation to the knife.The rearward movement of the carriage continues this cutting rotation,for example through the locking efiect of the member G The over-runningclutch illustrated in Figure 5 is effective to permit the knife to spinduring the intervals when the carriage is at rest, for example at theend of the cutting excursion. The knife may be made of such weight as tohave sufficient momentum to hold' its speed of rotation sufficientlysteady for practical purposes. If desired, the knife may be weighted orthe member C may be made of suffici entdiameter to serve as a fly wheel.The cutting edge of the knife may be protected by any suitable guardmeans, for example the peripheral guard indicated as J. The gauge plateB also serves as a guard when it is positioned in closedor'neutralposition as shown in Figure 2.

I' claim:

In a slicing machine, a knife, a manually operable carriage adapted tosupport the material to be sliced, means for actuating the carriageinrelation to'the cutting edge of theknife, driving means betweencarriage and knife adapted, in response to manual movement of thecarriage to-aetuatethe knife, said driving means including an endless.chain, a plurality of pawls, mounted on the carriage, opposed to saidchain. one of said pawls being adaptedto overrun one bight of saidchain, another of said pawls being adapted to override another bight ofsaid chain, the pawl engaging one bight being inclined oppositely tothepawl engaging the other bight. and means for preventing unintendedrecession of said chain from said pawls in response to thrust of thepawls against the chain, said means including an abutment elementmounted on the carriage adjacent each said: pawl and adapted to-engag'eth'esid'e of the chain opposite to the pawl.

WIILILAM- J. CAMPBELL.

